Why is it important to use the correct (supplied) USB-cable with my product?

Most Sony products that are supplied with a USB cable are catered to function with your specific product. Using a different cable might be the reason why your product isn’t functioning optimally. For example, your audio system or smartphone might freeze, charge less efficiently, or have issues when transferring data.

Data versus charging

In general, a fully equipped USB cable consists of 4 copper wires:

Two wires are used for charging purposes

Two wires are used for data transferring.

Although all USB cables have the same external appearance, some cables are “charge-only”, and the two data transfer copper wires (named D+ and D- data lines) will not be included in the cable or will be disconnected. We recommend using USB-cables that have all four wires connected, as the absence of these data transfer wires can potentially cause errors.

How do I know my USB cable has four wires?

Finding out can be a challenge, as there are inconsistencies between USB cables across manufacturers. If you are using a Sony product without a supplied USB cable, please ask your local retailer specifically for a data-transfer capable USB-cable. You can also check yourself, as it should be listed on the packaging.

The first item to check is the USB-cable supplied with your smartphone. It should be data-transfer compatible.